Blackstone boy, 10, dies after suffering ailment in pool

MILFORD - A 10-year-old boy who went into cardiac arrest during a swimming lesson Sunday at Fino Field pool has died, said Police Chief Thomas O’Loughlin.

According to O’Loughlin, the boy, Alex Cora of Blackstone, died Monday night at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. It is believed that Alex suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition that led to his death.

Alex, originally from Milford, was visiting his grandmother, a Milford resident, on Sunday and the two went to the pool.

O’Loughlin said the boy told the lifeguard he could swim from one end of the pool to the other and while doing so, stopped about halfway into his test, but waived to the lifeguard indicating that he was OK.

"After a few more strokes, the lifeguard believed he was in distress," O’Loughlin said.

The lifeguard dived in after Alex, performed CPR and was able to "bring up the water he ingested."

Emergency personnel arrived and were able to revive Alex and "get a pulse," O’Loughlin said.

He was then taken to Milford Regional Medical Center, stabilized, and then airlifted to UMass Medical Center, O’Loughlin said.

Amy Kurzontkowski, Alex’s aunt, described him as a "goofball" and a "super-fun" boy.

Kurzontowski said Alex’s brother, Anthony, 13, talked of his memories of his younger brother, including his love for reading and Playstation.

She said Alex was "always laughing and smiling," was extremely empathetic and was deeply religious as a practicing Catholic.

"The child had a heart of gold," she said. "He was an amazing kid."

She said neither the family nor Alex's doctor knew that he had a pre-existing heart condition.

Kurzontowski, with the help of hundreds of Milford-area residents, have helped to raise more than $1,200 on a gofundme.com page in less than a day.

With Alex’s family not able to afford funeral services, Kurzontwoski said she hopes the donations can help.

She added that another of Alex’s passions was swimming. He wanted to prove to the lifeguard at the pool Sunday that he could swim from one end of the pool to the other.

"He was happy that day," she said.

Zachary Comeau can be reached at 508-634-7556 and zcomeau@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZComeau_MDN.